Abstract

MaHgnant melanoma (MM) is a malignancy with a high metastatic potential. Primary treatment modality is surgery in early stage. Adjuvant high dose interferon (IFN) has been shown to prolong disease-free survival in resected high-risk patients with nodal involvement. We evaluated clinicopathological characteristics and treatment modalities of patients with MM. Ninety patients followed-up in medical oncology clinics of two tertiary health çenter betvveen July 1997-August 2008 were enrolled. Demographical and tumor characteristics of the patients and treatment modalities are evaluated retrospectively. The associati-on betvveen MM and increased body surface area (BSA) or body mass index (BMI) were also evaluated, since MM frequently presents with skin involvement. 56% of the patients were male, 44% were female. Median age was 52 (range: 19-75 years). Hypertension (28%) was the most common comorbid disease. The smoking rate was 41.1% (median 20 pack-year) and family history for cancer was 15%. Most patients were ovenveight (median BMI was 26.3 kg/m2, median BSA ıvas 1.8 m2). Nodular MM (55.3%) and lower extremity localization (30%) were most common. Median “Clark’s /eve/” was 4 and “Brestlovv" thickness was 4 mm. Median number of resected lymph nodes ıvas 15, and most patients had at least one nodal involvement. Adjuvant IFN was given 48.8% of the patients, and 25% of them had high dose-IFN treatment. While the metastasis rate at presentation was 21 %; 51.2% of the patients had relapse and 14.2%, had local retapse with iung metastasis. Patients with male gender, fifth deca-de, smoking history, BMI > 25 kg/m2 and hypertension seem to have higher risk.